The kitchen is always the soul of any home. As such, you want it to be vibrant, functional and practical. Here are a few ways to achieve this.
1. Arrange Your Go-To Items Close
A good kitchen is all about efficiency and being able to get things done quickly. To aid this, have items that you use often closer to you. This means placing them in the front row of your cabinets.
Also, ensure to place them on the lower and easy to reach cabinets. The reverse is true for items you hardly ever use. Store them further off, so they remain out of your way.
2. Garbage Disposal
Each cooking process will leave some waste. For your home to function correctly, you must be conscious about what not to put down the system. Having the best garbage disposal system is indispensable in the kitchen, and it can save you lots of headaches. However, try to avoid these items from getting into your garbage disposal system:
• Pasta
• Paint
• Eggshells
• Cooking oil and grease
• Potato peels
• Beans and rice
• Fruit pits, seeds, and seafood shells
Remember – the average cost to unclog a drain professionally is close to $200. This does not include the inconvenience of a clogged disposal can create to you and your family.
3. De-clutter
It’s not rare to find duplicated items in the kitchen. These items take up valuable space and make it harder to find the things you actually use. As part of your spring cleaning, make a point of throwing away any items you never use, as well as broken and duplicated items.
If there are items you don’t use, but still not ready to throw away, you can consider packing them up for storage away from the kitchen. However be careful not to clutter another room in the house with items you will never use.
4. Have a Designated Place For Everything
This is a useful tip that often goes overlooked. Having a designated place means you, and everyone in your home knows where everything goes. This, therefore, means everyone knows where to find everything as well. When trying to make a quick meal or when you are running late, you will definitely appreciate the time saved just by knowing where to find things.
5. Use Rugs
Yes, you can have rugs in the kitchen. Rugs add different colors and texture to a room. They also add an element of warmth. Alternatively, you can use them as area markers to demarcate different areas of your kitchen. These areas can be the sitting area, the wet sink area, and the pantry. Area rugs are smaller and much easier to clean, which is an added advantage.
6. Have a Little Command Center
No one likes to run out of a key ingredient smack in the middle of preparing a meal. This is one of the reasons why you need a kitchen command center.
This does not have to take up much space as it can be a small section of your kitchen wall. You can pin up a “to buy” list on this wall. The best way is to involve your entire household. Each time something is almost running out, it should be noted down on the to buy list so that it’s replenished before you completely run out.
7. Replace and Update Appliances
Updated appliances look good. And not just that, but modern appliances work faster and are more energy efficient. Their energy efficiency will get some money off of your electrical bills.
8. Freshen It Up
In warm summer months, opening windows freshens your kitchen right up. During colder months there could be a bit of a challenge. Still, your kitchen needs to smell fresh. If you are averse to store-bought air fresheners, you can use natural products from your kitchen.
Some products you can use are:
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Lemon juice
As an added plus, lemon juice will leave your kitchen with a fresh citrusy smell.
9. Lighting
Lighting adds a lot of character to a room. And the best thing, you can use layered lighting to give a different effect in your kitchen.
For example, you can have overhead lighting for when you need to cook and are using a recipe. When eating or socialising in your kitchen, you can switch to softer wall lights.
10. Recipes
What’s a kitchen without food? You need several good recipes and a signature dish. When buying recipe books for your kitchen, ensure to go for those that combine steps. This makes it easier and faster for you to whip up a meal.
These are easy and steps to improve your kitchen’s aesthetic and functional value. And the good news is, they are actionable for big and smaller sized kitchens as well.
